Posts from — July 2012

August is one very busy month in Southwest Washington. Festivals and fairs are happening full tilt. From Mt. Adams to the beach — there is an event scheduled for every age and interest. See you there!

August 1-5 – Rally in the GorgeFive days, four nights of events for motorcyclists including four mini-rallies. Sturgis has nothing on us!

August 3-4 — CouvFest NWThis year’s festival will feature fifteen bands over two days, beginning at 8pm on Friday at Torque Coffee Roasters on 5th and Columbia. Saturday’s event will take place from noon to 10pm at Turtle Place Park on 7th Street. There will be food carts and other vendors throughout the day, and the opportunity to meet the bands after each live set. LOTS of music and a chance to check out the new, cool Torque Coffee Roasters in their great space.

August 3-4 – Art in the Heart/First FridayMusicians and artists take over central downtown Vancouver during the annual Art in the Heart celebration which kicks off on Friday night with the monthly Artwalk.

Aug 3 – 12 – Clark County Fair– 144 years! Clark County’s biggest summer party starts on August 3. This is one great county fair. So much to see and do including concerts, demo derby, medieval jousting, amusement rides, 4-H animals on display and, the best reason of all, the Clark County Dairy Women’s super fresh and tasty milkshakes. See you there!

August 10-11 – Vancouver Brewfest– The first! Fresh NW beers, live music and local food including Beaches, Woody’s, Foody Blues and Main Event. Esther Short Park. Check out the list of brewers here.

August 11 – Wild Woman Trail Marathon – Run a full marathon or a relay. Stay for the weekend at their Mt. Adams base camp. Emjoy Mt. Adams and Trout Lake, a fabulous part of the region.

August 15-19 – Skamania County Fair & Timber Carnival – Another great fair and it’s free! Head out to Stevenson for a LOT of activities with all the usual fun livestock competitions, exhibits, music and carnival rides.

August 17-18– Blues and Seafood at the Port of Ilwaco. Port of Ilwaco. There will be LOTS of music at this festival starting with an all-star jam on Friday night. Norman Sylvester performs on Saturday. Willapa Bay oysters, microbrews and regional wines and will be featured. Save some barbequed oysters for me, please.

August 19 – Jazz and Oysters– Jazz and Oysters (at Wilson Field in Ocean Park) celebrates its 27th year with a lineup that includes Jovino Santos Neto Quintet. Offerings include grilled oysters, fruit & cheese plates & desserts, beverages and libations. Jazz and Oysters is a major fundraiser for Water Music Festival, which takes place in October.

Poster by Don Nesbitt

August 20-26 – The Washington State International Kite Festival (WSIKF) is a week-long kite celebration and competition held annually during the third full week of August in Long Beach with professional and amateur kite flyers. Voted ‘Best Kite Festival in the World’ by Kite Trade Association International.

August 22-25 – Pacific County Fair – August is truly the month of county fairs. The Pacific County Fair in Menlo will include all the fun activities.

August 24-26 – Vancouver Wine and Jazz Festival – Vancouver’s premier music festival graces Esther Short Park again. Great wines, beautiful art and fantastic music. Take your lawn chairs. This year’s line up includes Diane Schuur, WAR, Brubeck Brothers Jazz Quartet, The Yellow Jackets, The Rippingtons and Jose Feliciano among many others. Check out the ZEST post on the opening night of the 2010 festival.

August 25 – Bigfoot Bash and Bounty – Home Valley Park in Skamania County. Last year’s event included Bigfoot authors and spotters and a Bigfoot movie. Check the Web site for more details. (If you go, check out the camping at Timberlake Campground.) Take your camera and watch out for Bigfoot!

Yes, this is a blog about SOUTHWEST Washington. But summer is for islands and ferries and crabbing and kayaking and, need we say more? So this blog post travels for a few days out of ZEST’s Southwest Washington to another beloved part of the Evergreen State — the San Juan Islands. This photo journal focuses on three islands – Shaw, San Juan and Orcas. Enjoy the trip!

One of the very best queues in the world - the line for the ferry in Anacortes

The incessant rain has stopped. The sun has returned. Is there a better place to live and recreate than the Pacific Northwest in summer? And don’t we deserve it?!

For more than 100 posts, ZEST has shared interesting places (and people and events) around Southwest Washington. Looking back and planning forward, here are favorite ideas for celebrating summer in our region.

Go for a summer paddle!

Go kayaking – You may like the thrills of white water kayaking but we’re talking about paddling the scenic, relaxing waterways of the area. Rent a kayak at Ridgefield Kayak in Ridgefield and paddle Lake River out to the Columbia (classes and tours available) or check out Columbia River Kayaking in Skamokawa where there are day tours and classes available and more options for paddling the Columbia. Check out the ZEST post on kayaking Vancouver Lake and Lake River.

Step into anime – The weekend after the Vancouver Wine and Jazz Festival, Esther Short Park will offer a totally different experience when the 10th Annual Kumorican Convention returns to Vancouver for Labor Day Weekend. You don’t have to be a follower of anime to enjoy the hordes of people who do when they fill the park in full, elaborate costumes. It really is a fun and friendly gathering. At Kumorican 2011, we photographed some of the characters. You can check out the ZEST post Hanging Out with Johnny Depp and Otaku in Downtown Vancouver.

You could fill your whole summer without leaving the region. Enjoy the dry weather and fun places and events. Fall will be here soon enough. As they say, you’ve got to “make hay while the sun shines.” Get out there!

Welcome to July! Could there be a busier month? Here are more than 30 events (plus a 4th of July celebration in nearly every community) to keep you active this month.

In the daylight at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge - picture it after dark with night creatures!

July 3 – Full-Moon Hike – Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge – Carty Unit – Trail guides will lead you on an adventure in which owls hooting, coyotes howling, bats flying, and rustling in the brush are all possibilities. 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. The hike is free but space is limited. RSVP with Sarah Hill at 360-887-4106 or email Sarah_Hill@fws.gov

July 4 – 4th of July Celebrations – “Staggering” describes the number of 4th of July picnics, concerts, parades, a rodeo or two and fireworks displays happening in Southwest Washington. The largest is no doubt the Independence Day at Fort Vancouver. But every community celebrates in its own, fun way. Please check your local events calendar for your closest celebration and have a fun, safe 4th!

July 4-7 – Vancouver Rodeo – Clark County Saddle Club – This is the 42nd year of the rodeo, which will happen at the Saddle Club. The schedule is here. Admission.

July 5-August 9 – Riverview Six to Sunset Concerts – Esther Short Park – Vancouver – Set up your lawn chair in the park and enjoy a great series of evening concerts. Purchase dinner from the food vendors or take a picnic. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Free.

July 5 – Abbey Road Live (Beatles Tribute)

July 12 – Hit Machine

July 19 – Patrick Lamb

July 26 – Stone in Love

July 6 – Art Walks and Special First Friday Events – Vancouver, Camas and Ridgefield continue their monthly First Friday events. Camas First Friday will present the “Camas Car Show and Rock and Roll Night.” Ridgefield’s event will be in Davis Park from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

July 14 – 4th Plain International Festival – 4th Plain and Norris Road in Vancouver – Celebrate the diversity of the 4th Plain area. International food vendors. Entertainment. Check the Web site for details. Includes the first ever Vancouver International Dodgeball Tournament! Register your team here!

July 14-15 – Art and Wine Fair– English Estate Winery – 17806 SE 1st Street, Vancouver. Enjoy the 109-year-old estate, live music and dozens of artists not to mention English Estate’s wines, which will be available for tasting.

July 21 – Cruisin the Gut– Vancouver – This car event just keeps getting larger and larger! Lovers of vintage autos line Main Street with lawn chairs to watch collectible cars from the past cruise Main Street from Dairy Queen down to lower downtown Vancouver and back. The route is here. Evening event but get there early! Free.

July 20-21 – NW Outrigger Races – Stevenson – Watch these mighty paddlers as they compete on the Columbia surrounded by the gorgeous Gorge and Bridge of the Gods as a backdrop. Stevenson will have lots of food and drink to offer, too, in the charming downtown area.

July 22 – Summer Concert Series – Three Brothers Vineyards and Winery – The music continues in Clark County’s wine country with award-winning blues and R&B artist Lloyd Jones. Don’t forget your own lawn chairs or blankets. Take your own food (but NO liquids or beverages) or purchase catered food. Wine, sodas and water available for purchase. Admission.

July 25-20 – Sandsations and City Sandsations – Long Beach – On Wednesday, July 25, four master artists will start building in downtown Long Beach, culminating on Friday with a rodeo-themed sculpture. Construction for the sandcastle competition on the beach starts on Saturday at 10 a.m. There will also be a Sand Flea Pet Parade. Check the Sandsations Web site for details.

July 26-29 – Finnish-American Folk Festival – Naselle High School on SR4. This festival is packed with authentic food and entertainment. The celebration of all things Finnish kicks off on July 26 with a golf tournament. Check out the event-packed schedule here.

July 28 –Sip and Stroll – This benefit for the Hough Foundation is a great way to sample dozens of wines and beers while strolling through Uptown Village and downtown Vancouver. Check out wineries and microbreweries in downtown Vancouver and experience local shops where many of the tastings will be held. 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. 21 and up. Admission.

July 28-29 – Bridge of the Gods Kite Fest – Stevenson – Celebrate wind and water! Kiteboarders and watchers won’t want to miss this event on the Columbia. The schedule is here.

WELCOME TO ZEST!

Welcome to Southwest Washington ZEST! Here you will find travel ideas, recreational pursuits, cultural events, interviews with creative locals and more about one of the best areas of the Pacific Northwest.

From the beaches and bays of Pacific County to the forests of Wahkiakum and Skamania, from Cowlitz and Lewis counties and Mount St. Helens, down to Vancouver and the Columbia River, there are amazing places to visit and people to know. Whether you live here or are visiting ZEST from afar, glad you are here.